CV NEWS FEED// Seminarians from the Archdiocese of Miami have explained in their own words why they expect Floridian Catholics to support their formation through donations to the Burse Fund, which will be collected in South Florida parishes on August 3-4.
Seminarian Adam Cahill quoted St. John Vianney in his appeal, when the Curé d’Ars said, “The priest is not a priest for himself – he is for you.” Cahill reflected on all the times he had seen priests pouring themselves out for others, adding,
Throughout my time in priestly formation, I have been cultivating a heart after the heart of Jesus by serving you – the people of God. By attending Masses, helping in the office, serving the less fortunate, ministering to our youth, and visiting the sick, I have come to believe that I am not for me, but for you.
Cahill thanked donors for their generosity, saying that it gave him the ability to discern the priesthood without worrying about debt.
Seminarian Cristhian David Mendieta Hernandez echoed Cahill’s sentiments. While he said that “every vocation is a gift” whereby “God prepares us to be gifts to others,” he called the priestly vocation “a mystery of love for those who are called.” He added that in response to God’s call,
I have humbly offered myself to Him through the path of the priesthood during these years of discernment and formation. Trusting in the Lord, I hope to one day serve our local Church in Miami, and this is also possible because of your prayers and support.
A third seminarian, Gerald Permenter, explained how he discerned his call to the priesthood. He grew up with a pious grandfather, but he was not introduced to Catholicism until high school. In college, he became involved in campus ministry. However, when he became a teacher after graduation, he struggled because he was not allowed to share the joys of his faith with his students.
“I was never completely satisfied with my work. For years, I struggled with these feelings, fearful of abandoning my family’s long presence in the field of education,” he said.
But, during the Covid-19 lockdown, he was inspired “to take a risk and enroll in seminary to discover my vocation… Since I started this journey, I have never received more support from my family, friends and even people who do not know me.”
He, too, added his gratitude for this support.
